Shock-absorber for deep-well pumps.



R. E. L. HOLMES.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR DEEP WELL PUMPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. I917,

Patented Jan. 28,1919.

"2 SHEETS-SHEET] H0be/"bEL,H Zj IINVIENTOR 'WITN ESSES ATTORNEY R. E. L. HOLMES.

snocx ABSORBER FOR DEEP WELL PUMPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5.1911- R Y Wm o w 9T N 0 8 E "n 2% W A M M "m a P L E w. W 7

-; companying drawin tire.

ROBERT EIL. HOLMES, OF. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOCK-ABSORBER FOR DEEP-WELL PUMPS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. L. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Shock-Absorber for Deep-Well Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to shock absorbers for deep well pumps, and its object is to provide a deep Well attachment for either single or double acting pumps, whereby the shock caused by the closing of the valve or valves and which is transmitted by the liquid being pumped, is taken up by yieldable means located adjacent to the pump barrel.

In accordance with the invention, cushioning means are provided to be applied to the exterior of the pump rod or other part closely adjacent to and above the,pump barrel, which cushioning means is elastically yieldable and pneumatically resistant to the external pressure to which it is subjected, the air'pressure established within the (Bushioning means approximating the water pressure in the discharge pipe just above the Working barrel when in operation.

By such means, the shock due to the closing bf the valves, which shock occurs in single stroke pumps at the beginning of the upstroke and m two stroke pumps at the beginning of the upstroke of both plungers, and in double acting pumps on both the upstroke and the down stroke, is taken up or absorbed by the pneumatically yieldable means and so is not transmitted therebeyond.

By the employment of hermetically or similarly sealed cushioning means, the initial air pressure established in such cushioning means may be held indefinitely, and it seldom occurs that it is necessary to draw the pump to reestablish the initial pressure, which latter may be done by pumping more air or other gas into the cushioning means similar to the pumping up of a pneumatic The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the acforming part ofthis speclfication, with t e further understanding that, while the drawings show a practica form of the invention, the latter is "not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the but may be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 28, 1919.

Application filed November 5, 1917. Serial No. 200,414.

changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a pump rod with a surrounding tube, which latter may represent a pump rod guide or the hollow pump rod of a double piston pump, the invention being shown applied to the hollow rod and broken away to illustrate the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view. of the structure of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but show ing the invention applied to a single pump ro Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the structure of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a difierent means of attaching the cushion to the hollow rod;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the structure of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a cushion similar to Fig. 7

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section, with parts in elevation, of a deep well pump with one form of the invention applied.

Referring to the drawings. there is shown a length 1 of solid pump rod and a length 2 of hollow pump rod or tubing surrounding the solid pump rod and through which the latter works. The tubing 2 may represent either a guide for the rod 1 or a hollow pump rod through which the rod 1 works. The rod 1 and'tube 2 are assumed to be closely adjacent to the'usual pump barrel, which latter is not shown in the drawings.

In Fig. 1 and associated figures. there are shown two elongated hollow cushions 3 terminating at ea h end in a solid extension 4 shaped to partially embrace the tube 2, and held thereto by a clamp 5. The size and length of the cushion tubes 3 and the numtrated, it is under some circumstances, a single tube may be used, and while two clamps 5 are illusevident that a larger number of clamps distributed along the length of the cushion tubes may be used.

At one end of each tube 3, and preferably at the lower end thereof, is a nipple 6 which may be similar to the air nipples employed on pneumatic tires, and is intended to be used in connection with a pump for establishing pressure within the tube 3, whether such pressure be air pressure or some other gas be used. c

Instead of making the cushioning device in the form of tubes with terminal extensions to be clamped about the tube 2, the cushioning device may be cylindrical as shown in Fig. 7 at 3 and terminates at each end in a neck 4* of a size to snugly embrace the tube 2 and may be fastened thereto in any suitable way, for instance, by vulcanizing or by clamping or the like. The joint between the cylindrical cushion 3* at the neck 4* and the pipe 2 must be of a hermetic nature to prevent leakage. The cushion 3 is pumped up to the desired pressure.

In Fig. i, the cushion 3 is shown as applied directly to the pump rod 1, but is otherwise the same as the showing of Fig. 1. In Flg. 10, the cushion 3 is shown as applied directly to the pump rod 1, but otherwise agrees with the showing of Fig. '2.

A suitable air or gas pressure is established inthe cushion 3 or 3*, as the case may be, after such cushion is applied to the hollow rod 2 or the solid rod 1, and is then introduced into the well so as to be lodged immediately above the pump cylinder and of course immersed in the liquid in the well.

The air or gas pressure within the cushion member being about equal to the liquid pressure exterior to the cushion member, there is no collapse of the cushion member due to such exterior pressure, butwhen pumping is roceedlng and shocks occur due to the closmg of the valves, the cushion member yields and so absorbs the shock in a manner similar to the action of a pneumatic tire on the vehicle. i

The cushion member may be made of canvas, l ned or impregnated with rubber or be otherwise constructed on the lines of the pneumatic tire to be air and water-tight, or

so nearly so that the internal air pressure 1s mamtalned for an indefinitely long time.

It will be understood, of course, that the size and length of the cushion member is suficient to accomplish the purpose intended,

but the cushion member is made enough smaller than the column pipe or well casing to prevent rubbing thereon as might'otherw1se occur during the action of the pump rod or rods.

The cushioning device of the invention has an advantage over the customary air naeams bells, in that there is a large surface to receive and absorb the shock and the pressure within the cushion is substantially constant at all times. lit will be understood of course that the air cushion is. so made as not to interfere with the free course of the pumped water or other liquid. It will be further understood that ordinarily air may be the elastic fluid used to establish the desired pressure within the cushions, although under some circumstances a suitable gas other than air may be used. For simplicity of expression, the pressure medium will be consi ered as air without necessary In Fig. 12 there is shown of the pneumatic cushion to a deep well pump, and while a cushion 3 connected at the ends 4? to the pump rod 1 is similar to the like parts appearing in Figs. 10 and 11, it will be understood as indicative of the pneumatic cushions and associated parts shown in the other figures of the drawings.

In Fig. 12 there is also shown a pump or the 7 application working'barrel 1*, a piston or plunger 7, a. f

foot valve 8, a drop pipe 9, a well caslng 10, a discharge T 11 and a stufling box 12 for the pump rod, these being ordinary constructions requiring no special description and common to deep wells.

What is claimed is:

1. lln deep well pumps, the combination with a pump rod, of a pneumatic member attached to the pump rod close to the pump barrel and having constant pressure established therein corresponding to the external pressure normally exerted by the liquid in the well upon the pneumatic member.

2. The combination with a pump rod, of

a tubular member of air-tight yieldable mawith a part of the pump adjacent to and in line with the pump barrel, of a yieldable air-tight cushion member fast and exterior to the said part of the pump and inflated to an internal pressure corresponding to the normal external pressure to which the air tight member is subjected when in the well.

i. In deep well pumps, the combination with a part of the pump adjacent to and in line with the pump barrel, of a yieldable airtight cushion member fast and exterior to the said part of the pump and inflated to an internal pressure corresponding to the normal external pressure to which the airtight member is subjected when in the well, said air-tight cushion member when in the installed position being ersed in the liquid pumped, whereby shoclrs produced by the action of the pp valves are ieno I diatel absorbed by the compressive yieldabsorber being inthe form of a yieldabletube resistant to internal pressure and inflated to a-degree corresponding to the external pressure'of the surrounding liquid normally exerted upon and tending to collapse the tube while the tion.

6. A shock absorber for deep well pumps for attachment to a moving part of the pump adjacent to the pump barrel, comprising an air-tight tubular member of yieldable material inflated to a degree corresponding to the external pressure exerted thereupon when the pump is in operation, and having means whereby the tubular member may be tightly secured to the pump rod to move therewith.

7. A shock absorber for deep well pumps for attachment to a pump rod close to the pump barrel, comprising a tubular member pump is in operaof yieldable air-tight material having means for attachment to the pump rod, and

means whereby the tubular member may be inflated to a degree corresponding to the ex ternal pressure to which the tubular member is subjected when the pump is in operation.

8. In deep well pumps, a pneumatic cushion member for location in the well close to the pump barrel and provided with inner and outer walls defining an air chamber between them normally closed against the escape of air therefrom, said cushion member well having established therein superatmospheric pressure corresponding to the external pressure normally exertedby the liquid in the well upon the pneumatic member when the latter is installed in the well.

9. In deep well pumps, the combination with a pump rod, of an elongated tubular pneumatic cushion member embracing the pump rod and having means at the ends for connectin the pneumatic member to the pump ro at points spaced apart lengthwise of the pump rod, said pneumatic member being located on the pump rod close to the pump barrel and having superatmospheric pressure established therein corresponding to the pressure exerted upon the exterior of the neumatic member by liquid in the well' whi e being pumped.

10. In deep well pumps, the combination with a pump rod, of an elongated tubular pneumatic cushion located in the well close to the pump barrel and in surrounding relation to thepump rod close to the pump barrel, said cushion having means at the ends for securing it to the pum rod, and normally closed means carrie by the pneumatic cushion whereby air under pressure may be forced into the pneumatic cushion until a ressure is established within the pneumatic cushion to elastically resist forces exerted on the cushion by the liquid being pumped.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

1 ROBERT E. L. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

' HARRY'H. TALOO'I'I,

EnNns'rmn WALTER. 

